When Darkness comes
by Dragonwolf77
Summary: Ryelle has always been trapped, but soon she will make her escape and have her biggest challenge to face
1. Chapter 1

She crouched by the Celestial Inn, watching as guests entered and left the crouded Inn. She saw the man she'd been waiting for. The merchant wouldn't even know what hit him. _I'll just get behind him and take his loot before he finishes his drink, _she thought slyly. Ryelle had been a thief as long as she could remember. Her master was a wealthy landowner, with many thieves working for him, but he was dispicable in every way. He had a son, who looked at her in a rather sick and twisted sort of way. She looked around her for any chance that she was being watched before making her move. She walked ever so casually toward the merchant, when all of a sudden, there was a fight in the corner of the bar. The merchant lifted himself up, to see what was happening and she made her move. Ryelle grabbed the bag of gems, and ran. She made a left and climed up on to the roof to see if he followed. Ryelle peered down at black cobble stone street below and instead found her friend Dromyr following suit. He stared up at her and smiled.

"What on earth are you doing following me?" Ryelle glared at him and scowled.

"Helping you by distracting attention," he replied to her. He stared at her with his large green eyes. Ryelle knew he was just trying to help, but in her profession, she could have been caught and killed or tortured.

"So that was you fighting. Well, I appreiciate the help, but next time, warn me ahead of time to avoid mess ups ok?" Ryelle wanted to be angry but Dromyr had a way of getting out of trouble with her. She rolled her eyes and smiled, before coming down off the roof.

"I will, I promise," he said thoughtfully. "Has your master's son been acting weird around you again?"

"Kymer? Yeah, on a fairly regular basis. I actually caught him trying to touch my thigh the other day, then one of the other thieves came in and he left. That boy is sick and twisted, and if i ever catch him at it again, I will personally make sure that his hands and eyes will never come near me again." Ryelle stared at the ground with her fists clenched. She knew what Kymer wanted, and she knew his father would see to it that she gave it to him. She shuddered to think about it, but she would never let that happen to her.

She and Dromyr walked back to the mansion in silence. They both lived there, but dromyr didn't have much responsibility to Yyrtof, Ryelle's master, only his parents did. Yyrtof had found Ryelle when she was only and infant, and decided to teach her the arts of thievery, and stealth. When out doing jobs, she had to disguise herself as a boy, because women were to be escorted everywhere and she would be very noticeable in inns and bars, plus male clothing was easier to move around in. Every month or so she had to cut her curly brown locks, and every job she had to bind herself so she wouldn't be recognised as a girl. Kymer, Yyrtof's son, was betrothed to her now, and that's the way Yyrtof wanted it.

Kymer was a thin stick of a boy with black greasy hair and brown eyes. It made her sick to look or think of him, and what his and his fathers intentions for her were, she didn't know. She wasn't going to find out though. She'd been keeping a little of her loot at a time, saving for the chance to get away. When the time came, she hoped to run far away and try to find her real family. Inside, she secretly hoped Dromyr would come too. She knew he would if she asked him, but she wouldn't risk both of their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryelle left Dromyr at the gates and headed into the abyss she knew as home. She was greeted by the head thief Tytion. "The master want's to see what you've burgled before you have a chance to take his share." Tytion was a brainless thug of Yyrtof's and was as dumb as he was ugly.

"Fine, I'll come along. But don't even think of touching me!" Ryelle glowered at the thug, wishing for the chance to slit his throat. She knew the penalty would be a whipping, and she'd had too many of those already. She'd gotton one just a week ago for breaking the glass vase she was supposed to bring back to Yyrtof. She winced as she thought of it, and she knew the cuts were not fully healed.

She walked into the door of Yyrtof's office, and waited as Tytion closed the door and left. "It's just a bag of jewels," Ryelle said with great hatred. "There's nothing of interest."

"We shall see. Open the bag and dump out the contents! Now!" Ryelle did as she was ordered. "The other thieves tell me that you've been hanging aroung with that Dromyr boy. I think it's time you and my son get the marriage over with so nothing will happen between you and Dromyr. Tytion! Fetch my son and take Ryelle to her chambers to get ready for the marriage!"

"What? I will not marry him! Let go of me Tytion! Dromyr help! HELP!" Tytion grabbed her and began to drag he off. She looked for a place to grab hold of, and grabbed the window frame of the hall. She looked at the stairs and saw Dromyr running up them. Tytion pulled her away from the window and threw her into the wall behind her. She bashed her head against the wall and fell unconscience on the floor.

When she regained it, she was on a horse galloping full speed. She was afraid to look up or even to open her eyes, so she stayed silint and hoped for a miracle.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryelle woke as if from a nightmare. She found herself on the ground by a roaring fire. She stood up and walked around before seeing the form of her captor curled up by the fire. It was too small to be either Yyrtof or Tytion, but just big enough to be Kymer. She crept over and drew her knife before tapping them on the shoulder. Suddenly Dromyr flew up in a storm of blankets looking shaken and a little weak. He spotted her and sighed.

"Oh, it's just you," he said rubbing the back of his head, trying to hide what looked like a black eye and a hurt arm. "You had me worried when you passed out in the hallway. How's your head?" He looked concerned and a bit frightened at the sight of her with the knife.

"I'm fine Dromyr, I just have a bit of a headache. How did you get me out of there, I thought that Tytion was going to kill you!" She looked at him again and noticed several wounds she hadn't seen before.

"He nearly did," he said looking at the cut in the side of his tunic, it wasn't hurting as much any more, but it still bled from time to time. "It was worth it though to help you. I couldn't let them do that to you. If you hadn't taught me how to defend myself, I never would have gotten away alive with you. I managed to knock him out, so I think we're still being looked for. We're about fifty miles out side of Sandyr. We made good time. You've been out for a few days. Are you hungry?" Ryelle stared back at him with guilt. She began to blame herself for his injuries, thinking that he could have been killed if something had gone wrong.

"Dromyr?" Ryelle asked "What about your parents? Won't they be worried about you?" Dromyr turned away and looked into the flames, a solitary tear rolled down his cheek.

"Yyrtof killed them and burned down the house after I escaped with you. I watched from the roof of the Celestial Inn. I don't want to go into detail." He was very silent for a time, before Ryelle broke the silence.

"I'm so sorry Dromyr, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten you involoved..."

"No, it's not your fault, Ryelle, don't you ever think that. If I hadn't saved you I would have lost my only true friend. I never really talked or saw my parents, because thay were always working, loosing you would have been far worse." He stared back at her with those big green eyes of his, and she felt truly sorry for him. But deeper yet, she felt and emotion she'd never felt before. She ignored it for the time being, sitting next to him on the cold ground. Turning to face him, she hugged him, and they remained that way for what seemed hours.

"Thank you Dromyr. Thank you." She whispered over and over again. His tears falling on her cheek and merging with hers.

"Anything for you Ryelle." He whispered back. They fell asleep in each others arms and awaited the light of daybreak to emerge.


End file.
